Good morning everyone! Another two weeks have gone by in the Gorham Schools! Such great work is happening in our classrooms and there is much to talk about...so enjoy some images from the last few weeks, smile as directed (see picture bottom left) and then let's get to the updates!☺
A REMINDER ABOUT SNOW DAYS
I know - NO ONE wants to talk about this...but we've had our first frost, the leaves are falling, and even though I'd like to put off all these conversations, I can't! Snow days are a reality in Maine, so let's ensure everyone is prepared!
First, I wanted to provide an overview of what to expect on a typical inclement weather day. I start my day at 4:30 a.m. on those mornings. My routine is pretty straightforward. I get up and watch the 4:30 local news/weather update. I then participate in a group texting chain with other Cumberland County Superintendents who are sharing conditions in their districts and what they are thinking. I sign into NOAA and check weather information there, then I sign into my weather app to check the radar and timing of things. I communicate with our transportation director and public works, who update me on real-time conditions. Then, I return to the texting group to see what others are doing. I make a final decision by 5:00 a.m. or a little later using all this information.
Once the decision is made, I share it via social media and post it on our website. My assistant, Rhonda Warren, posts simultaneously on TV and radio stations. I then create a phone, text, and email alert that goes out to everyone at 5:30 a.m., letting folks know broadly of the decision to either delay the start of school or cancel school due to inclement weather. If you don't hear anything, school is on!
The Gorham Schools utilize one-hour delays, two-hour delays, early releases, full snow days, and remote learning days as tools to manage inclement weather conditions.
If a 1-hour delay is determined, bus runs would all start 1 hour later than usual, and schools would open 1 hour later than usual. If a 2-hour delay is determined, bus runs would all start 2 hours later than usual, and schools would open two hours later than usual. If we get students into the school on time and have to utilize an early release day due to snow, we will decide and communicate that to families by 9:30 a.m. We would then follow our typical early release dismissal times for our buses transporting students home.
The state of Maine requires that students attend a minimum of 175 school days per year. We have FIVE snow days built into our calendar that can be used without impacting our scheduled end of the school year (scheduled this year for June 18 at latest). If we use these five traditional snow days, and we still need to close schools due to weather, we will utilize remote learning days so that we do not have to extend the closing of schools in June. Of course, if we don't use those five days, we back up school closing earlier by as many days as we don't use. Here are a few examples of how that could play out:
Example 1—We need more than five snow days. It is March, and we have already used all five traditional snow days. A blizzard is rolling in. We have to call a remote learning day on Friday. We call the day and engage in remote learning, and our last school day remains June 18, 2025.
Example 2—We use less than 5 snow days. It is April, and we have only used 2 snow days, meaning we have 3 unused snow days built into the calendar. Temperatures are soaring into the 50s and 60s, and we are "out of the woods." Our last student day would now be three days earlier, on June 13 (the 15th is a Sunday).
We are working on updating our remote learning protocols and will share those as we get closer to the white stuff coming down. For now, just know that we will use all 5 traditional snow days before we move to remote learning days as a last resort.
As you might imagine, none of this is an exact science - especially when dealing with Maine’s unpredictable weather. The Gorham Schools will always do its best to make the right call; however, please know that we understand that the parent/guardian is always the one making the final decisions regarding the safety of your student(s). If there is ever a circumstance where the school has not been canceled or delayed, yet you feel it is best to keep your child home because of road conditions, please do not hesitate to do so.
Any questions - please ask! My email is heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.
THOUGHT EXCHANGE BUDGET PRIORITIES SURVEY DATA SUMMARY
Whenever a survey is sent to the public, it is important to always share a summary of the data gathered so that folks can see the ultimate results and know their essential voices are heard in the aggregate.
Below is a summary of the Thought Exchange Survey sent out to all staff, parents, and community members last month to help us develop priorities for the FY 26 school budget development process.
First, THANK YOU to all who participated! We had well over 650 participants broken out roughly as follows:
When folks were asked to respond to the statement of: "I feel like the district is doing a great job." Responses were:
When folks were asked to respond to the statement of: "I feel confident in the district's ability to support success for all students in the coming year." Responses were:
When folks were asked to respond to the statement of: "I believe the district is effectively the needs of all students, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities." Responses were:
When folks were asked to respond to the statement of: "The district/my school communicates well with me." Responses were:
Now here is a particularly interesting response that I think demonstrates the difficult place our schools are in right now. When folks were asked to respond to indicate whether our overall school budget was "too high, too low, or adequate." Responses were split right down the middle with roughly the same number of folks saying "too high" as were saying "too low" and an even larger group saying "adequate". See graph below:
When folks were asked to respond to identifying the most important educational programs and services to be focused on to support the success of our students and schools in the coming year, the responses emphasize the need for sufficient staffing to support students' diverse needs, including mental health services, special education, and multilingual programs. There is a strong call for maintaining or reducing class sizes to enhance learning outcomes. Many respondents highlight the importance of mental health support, safety measures, and facilities upgrades. Additionally, there is a focus on providing a variety of courses, including advanced placement, career and technical education, and STEM programs. Extracurricular activities, practical life skills, and financial literacy are also deemed essential. Transparency with parents and addressing bullying are recurrent themes.
Next, participants were given a list of ten items and asked to prioritize them...results of this exercise are below:
These are all of the questions that were asked of everyone. Staff members were asked a few additional questions that other respondents were not. Those results are summarized below.
The first question asked staff to respond to the following statement: "The District/School allocates resources in a way that promotes equity among different student groups." Response was:
Responses indicated concerns regarding adequate resources for teachers to best meet the needs of special education students and multi-lingual students via differentiated practices with larger class sizes and more significant student needs.
In the following question, staff were asked to respond to the following statement: "I feel like I have the resources I need to do my job effectively." Response was:
Here, staff expressed a range of perspectives on the adequacy of resources. Some highlighted the need for additional special education, staffing, and professional development support. Others noted budget cuts, increased class sizes, and the necessity of purchasing personal supplies. Positive feedback included adequate access to training, supportive administration, and sufficient classroom materials. Concerns were raised about outdated facilities, inconsistent support for students with behavioral needs, and the need for more effective curriculum and technology training. While many felt they had the necessary resources, there were significant calls for improvements in staffing, funding, and specialized support.
Of course, much more great information was shared in the survey results, which would take me far too long to share in this blog post. The following steps will be to share the full results with the district leadership team to help them identify district budget priorities for FY 26. This information will also be shared with the full School Committee at our November 13 regular meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. in council chambers. This meeting will be live streamed and recorded,- so feel free to tune in to learn more!
SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUM QUESTIONS - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Question: Why do the costs of these three projects seem so high? Where did the numbers come from?
Answer: There is a very complex answer to why the costs seem high, but let's suffice it to say that since the Pandemic, costs for capital construction types of school projects have almost doubled. Feel free to refer to a recent article from the Portland Press Herald for more information. For the second part of the question - where do the numbers come from? These are well-researched numbers, although they are still estimates until a bond is approved. These numbers come directly from either the 2022 CHA facilities assessment or from the recently completed 2024 facilities assessment conducted on three of our buildings (GHS, Narragansett, and Village Elementary Schools) by LaValle associates or from estimates from Sebago Technics, a well-known engineering firm in our community. If these bonds are approved, we will take the next steps to create more detailed architectural drawings and project cost estimates associated with completing each project.
Question: What happens if these projects are not approved by voters?
Answer: If these bonds aren't approved, they aren't approved. We understand that that doesn't necessarily reflect our community's support for its public schools. It is more a reflection of people's concern for their increasing taxes. We realize this is the case. This is a reality in our community. One that the schools have little control over as long as we are asked to do all that we are currently being asked to do by our federal and state governments. The reality is that if these bonds aren't approved, there will also be repercussions for the schools and our broader community. A few are as follows:
*. Within 3 years, GHS will run out of space for students, especially those in specialized classrooms. We will be forced to increase class sizes, reduce elective offerings for students, and consider alternate physical placements for students with special needs with associated costs for transportation and/or out-of-district placement tuition costs that are far higher than what we can provide on-site.
*. The likelihood is high that the Narragansett HVAC system may not last until the next planned referendum request can be made. We will need to add this to our FY 26 CIPS budget request, increasing our overall budget request by that amount.
*. Approximately 50 GHS students and 60 GMS students will not be able to have home tennis matches. Instead, we will be forced to utilize other community sites, likely with additional fees associated. Increased transportation costs will also be a reality. The community will no longer have usable tennis courts in the village area, impacting other community-facing programs such as the recreation department and collaborations with USM.
*. We will need to re-set our 10-year capital plan to now absorb even greater costs for needs that are left unmet. Unmet needs in facilities do not magically disappear. If not met, they grow. They grow in scope, and they grow in cost. Eventually, the proverbial "piper" must be "paid," and that dollar figure only grows with time. The likelihood is high that we will need to return to voters again in November of 2025 to make these requests and likely more. Check out the link to our plan above to see the larger picture.
You can find more details and facts regarding the bond referendum questions by visiting our website, LINKED HERE. At the end of the day, these capital needs and many more exist in our schools. They are not made up and are, in fact, well-documented. The School Committee has worked diligently with experts and Town officials to develop a long-term capital plan that reasonably outlines various project needs and associated costs over time. Our job is to bring these needs to the attention of the School Committee, the Town Council, and our community. At the end of the day, what the community says (via your vote) goes.
Regardless of the result, we will find a way, as we have always done, to move forward - hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with our neighbors - to confront whatever challenges lie ahead. Gorham is a strong community that understands the importance of strong public schools. The challenges just continue to grow, as do the long-term implications.
Please reach out to me with questions if you have them. heather.perry@gorhamschools.org
NEXT WEEK IS SCHOOL BUS SAFETY WEEK!
National School Bus Safety Week is an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and other interested parties - to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety.
The goal is to promote school bus safety all week long! Our schools use this week to focus on school bus safety with students, reminding students of the importance of keeping their feet out of the aisle, not standing up or moving around on the bus while it is moving, and generally listening to the driver at all times.
What can you do to help? You, too, can talk with your child about safety while riding on a school bus. Students must follow our code of conduct while on our buses. They must do their best to follow the instructions given to them by our drivers. They must know that just because they are on a bus, bullying is still not allowed any more than it would be in a classroom or at your home. Help students know what appropriate behavior on a bus looks like, and be sure to praise them when it is seen!
When talking with other adults, you can help, too. You can help by sharing goals such as trying to limit distracted driving while buses are on the road in the morning and afternoon, really doubling down on that darn 25 MPH speed limit when driving past a school, or perhaps just making sure you take a moment to thank your bus driver for the incredible work they do each and every day for our students!
School bus safety week is just a great reminder to us all! It takes a village to raise a child, and we have some of the best in Gorham! Together, we can send strong messages to our children about the importance of being safe while on the bus!
UPDATED BOOK TALK INFORMATION
2nd FREE PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT ANNOUNCED - TOPIC - SUBSTANCE ABUSE & VAPING!
In collaboration with ParentGuidance.org, the Gorham Schools is hosting a 2nd FREE parent information night on Oct. 22 on Substance abuse and vaping! Meet with other parents nationwide to learn specific techniques to help families navigate these tricky waters! Hosted by fully trained and licensed clinical social workers, these free webinars are informative and offer great FREE resources to our families! I strongly encourage families to participate. Did I mention it was FREE? ☺ We have one more hosted topic later in November. Don't miss your chance; sign up today!
SUBSTITUTE TRAINING CLASS COMING SOON!
Our three day substitute training class will be happening on Nov. 18, 19 and 21 coming right up! For folks that are already on the substitute rolls and wish to improve their daily pay rates - this class is for you! For folks that are considering substitute teaching in our schools and want to learn more to feel better prepared - this class is for you! Check out the flyer below for details! Substitute rates in the Gorham Schools are as follows:
*. Certified Teachers = $150.00/day
*. Substitutes having completed this class - $140.00/day
*. All other substitutes = $125.00/day.
Individuals who substitute in our specialized special education classrooms (i.e. Autism, BSP and FLS) earn an additional $10.00/day.
A great way to earn a little extra holiday money while helping our schools and our community! Sign up today!
THE CRUCIBLE - GHS THEATER PRESENTATION COMING IN NOVEMBER!
GHS theater is getting ready to kick off its production of "The Crucible" in just a few weeks! Check out the flyer below for more details, and mark your calendars to come and see our students perform!
